


Axis Tilt

by ceedee



Series: It's in the Scrapbook [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Everyone's a girl, F/F, Genderbending, more schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:57:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8266858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceedee/pseuds/ceedee
Summary: There are a lot of things that make Chris happy.And then Christina meets Caitlin.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd. Why work on my grad school course work when I can write about queer ladies loving each other? One makes me happy.  
> I really want this to be a series - somebody send me prompts!

There are a lot of things that make Chris happy. 

Erica’s pies are fantastic – and the Haus always smells so good, even after they’ve thrown a kegster because Bitty whips up pancakes or French toast or muffins in the morning, even when she’s battling her own hangover because she can’t help herself. Christina loves Erica. So she tried to help her clean up the kitchen when she can.

The Sharks make Chris happy. She loves wrapping herself up in her sweatshirt (not that Sharks hoodies-days are limited to game days, but still) and huddling over her laptop, knees pressed to her chest all anxious energy until the final buzzer. 

She loves game days. Especially when Nursey and Dex have been convinced to put their bickering aside for five minutes and snuggle up on the couch with her, body warmth pressing into body warmth.

She loves being on the ice, listening to the swish of her skates on the ice as she makes her way to her home. She loves being between the goal posts. She loves when Holster and Ransom hoist her up on their shoulders at the end of a shutout and she feels like she’s on top of the world – the whole rink shouting, and the music blaring and all of her teammates around her, she thinks there might be no better feeling.

And then Chris meets Caitlin.

And it’s like her whole world narrows. She had never really understood the term tunnel vision before, but when Chris collides into Caitlin, and they’re lying there all tangled up in the grass and all Chris can see is the curve of her smile and the way her hair has splayed around her head in a wild nest.

And Caitlin likes the Sharks. Chris sees her hat and suddenly the two are thick as thieves in an instant, heads bent over phones comparing last night’s game, unaware that the Women’s Hockey, and Women’s Volleyball team are now standing to the side, snapping as many photos as they can before either looks up and notices. 

(At the end of the semester, Bitty presents them with a scrapbook filed with these pictures, scraps of tickets and Charlie cards found lying around the Haus, photos Bitty had taken in secret. Chris cries so hard her mascara runs, and when she throws herself at Bitty she forgets about the blanket in her lap, Caitlin’s legs tossed over hers that she trips and nearly falls flat on her face.)

Caitlin plans their first date. When they ride the commuter rail into Boston, Chris is so nervous she just places her trembling hand beside her on the awful orange fabric, and can’t fight back the grin that threatens to overtake her face when Caitlin grabs hold, interlacing their fingers. Caitlin stares at their reflection out the window, tempered by the changing foliage outside and matches her smile before pressing her face into Chris’ shoulder, burrowing in like she’s found her home.

They end up at the Boston Aquarium and they spend hours exploring. The first half hour is spent watching the staff feed the penguins. They run around the jellyfish exhibit, playing hide and seek between the large cylindrical tanks until they become too entranced by the lavender and transparent blobs sway within the water. Chris grabs her hand to tug Caitlin over to the rehabilitation windows – and they get to see the doctors handling a young turtle out of its tank that looks like it’s about to be released. 

When they find the touch tanks, Chris doesn’t hesitate before kneeling down between the field trip of kindergarteners to stick her hand in the freezing water. Caitlin giggles at the image, then joins her, and it’s not long before the two are splashing water at each other, falling over in a heap. 

Hours later, as they make their way out of the gift shop, each with a small bag in hand, they stand by the ticket booth, charmed by the seals in their tank, chasing them as they dart back and forth. 

After checking the train schedule, Caitlin and Chris decide they have time to walk through Faneuil Hall. They order a Bubble Tea with two straws so they can press their faces close together and take a goofy selfie to send to Bitty. It’s a Providence weekend for Bitty, so in return, she sends back a photo of her and Jackie, gripping each other tightly, bright smiles and Bitty has drawn hearts over their eyes. 

On the train back, Caitlin tells Chris to face the window for a moment and close her eyes. Obliging, Chris feels a slight cold pressure against her breast bone, and when she looks down there is a small shark pendant dangling from her neck. There is a moment where Chris forgets that they are in public and squeals loudly, digging through her bag so she can pull out the same necklace that she had bought – and tackling Caitlin.

Chris doesn’t even think when she presses her lips against Caitlin’s. She is warm and still tastes like the bubble tea they shared. They smile together before the soft ahem of the conductor pulls them apart and leaves them scrambling for their tickets.

Chris loves Boston. She loves the aquarium. And they only met each other three weeks ago, but Chris thinks she loves Caitlin. The way she laughs, the way she presses close when they watch Netflix together, and the “no-funny-business” look she gets in her eyes when they try to study together at the library and Chris props her feet up on either side of Caitlin’s legs. 

Caitlin takes the train to South Station when Chris has to return to California for Winter Break. But there are promises of Skype dates and phone calls, and Chris has at least two care packages she’s started to put together in her mind to send to Caitlin back home.

Chris loves Caitlin, she thinks as she’s nuzzling against her neck, not yet ready to say ‘goodbye.’ But they manage it somehow, and Chris is wiping away the tears that have gathered in the corners of her eyes, shifting the duffel bag across her shoulder when she hears her name called out from her favorite voice. Chris only has time to pivot when her arms are full of her girlfriend – who has jumped into her arms, legs locked around her. Caitlin is pressing into her, kissing the breath out of her before leaning back to whisper “I love you” against her lips. “I…I have to go or else I’ll never leave. I just wanted you to know.” And she settles herself down on the ground, heading back to the T like she didn’t just change the axis of Chris’ world once again.


End file.
